Vampire Games III: Wedding of the Millennium
by Styx Volturi-Romani
Summary: The days have become calm. There are currently no threats to the Volturi, Styx, Marcus or their relationship... except anxiety. Styx is very afraid of what marrying the great Volturi leader entails. Her Romanian brothers reassure her that nothing can go wrong... but anything that can go wrong will. Marcus/OC Sequel to Vampire Games II: Runaway. Rated M for language and sexuality.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Styx!" Aro called through the halls of Volterra. I sat up in bed and looked at my door expectantly. Sure enough, two seconds later, Aro came bursting through the door and stared at me with wide eyes, "I need your help with something."

I arched an eyebrow, "My help?" He nodded at me. "What with?"

"Well, you see... Tiffany has been telling me of these marvelous things called fan fictions. She says it is when a fan of a book or movie or anything creates an original story pertaining to that 'fandom' as she put it. I was wondering if you would help me create a fan fiction for a book I read years and years ago," Aro rambled on.

I stared at him for a second, feeling Marcus move beside me. I sighed, "Aro, can this wait till later? Marcus and I were resting..." Marcus sat up next to me, his thick hair ruffled only slightly and his bare chest gleaming in the light coming from beyond the door.

Aro's eyes grew and he smiled, "My apologies. Had I known you and Marcus were busy, I would have waited. I shall go ask Tiffany more about these fan fictions and perhaps see you later?"

I waved a hand at him, a bit annoyed, "Yeah, yeah, we'll be out in a bit..."

Aro grinned, did a small wiggle-like dance in place and nearly skipped out. I laughed quietly at him and laid back in Marcus's arms, perfectly content for the moment. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head, "You are far too kind to him."

I sighed, "Yeah, I know... but if I'm not nice to him, who will be?"

"Miss Tiffany," Marcus said with a small smile and nuzzled his face deeper into my hair, "she seems to have him preoccupied for the time being. She's tolerated his happy mood since she met him."

"I'll have to thank her for that," I said smirking. Before I could say another word, another vampire burst into the room and I growled, "What is it?"

Someone pulled on my arm and I sulked as Sulpicia tugged me out of bed, "Come on! Come on! Wedding dress... oh..." She saw my lack of clothing and giggled. I grabbed the blanket from the bed just as Marcus grabbed a pillow and he managed to cover himself up at the same time I pulled the blanket away to cover myself.

I sneered, "Wedding dress? Wait, a second. Wedding won't happen until he proposes, honey, and that hasn't happened. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"That is no excuse. We have to be ahead of the game," Sulpicia said, pulling out a measuring tape and measuring the length of my outstretched arm. "Aro has already begun to plan Marcus's bachelor party..."

I glared, "Whoa, hold up," without realizing it, in my anger, I had dropped my blanket and now both people in the room were staring at me with huge eyes. "A bachelor party? I swear to God, if Aro brings strippers or something into this castle, they will be stripped of far more then their clothing."

I felt someone place a hand on my bare back and another pull my blanket up around me. I turned to see that Marcus had put on pants and was now smiling lovingly at me, "My dear, there is nothing to worry about. Aro would not dare make you upset. He knows you would tear apart the castle if something were not to your taste." I huffed as he tightened the blanket around me and nodded. He was right, as usual.

Sulpicia cleared her throat, "Well... uh... I shall go warn Aro." With that, she turned and fled from our room.

I sighed and walked to my closet, shuffling through the clothes until I found my black t-shirt, leather jacket and skinny jeans. I slipped them on and turned to Marcus, who was already dawning his black robes. I gave him a peck on the cheek, "I'm going to go see Stefan and Vladimir." Marcus nodded to me and we went our separate ways. It was often a tiny bit painful to have to leave Marcus but I bared it well.

I strolled to the garden and smiled, spotting movement beyond one of the windows. I took a few steps back and leapt, landing on the wall right next to the window. Without making a sound, I opened the window and slid in, right behind Vladimir, who was doing some paper work. As he turned to me, I held my arms up and yelled, "Surprise!"

The look on his face was priceless. At first he was confused, frightened and alert. Then he became angry and annoyed with me, "What is the matter with you? Are you trying to put me in the world's first vampire coma?"

I giggled at him and then hugged him, "No, I just missed you." Since returning to Volterra, Marcus and I hadn't left our room for days, weeks even. We weren't doing what you think we were doing. We're saving that for after the wedding. No, we just talked, kissed, held each other and talked some more. There was a lot about Marcus that I hadn't known before. After the last few days, I felt as though I'd known him for not sixteen years but hundreds.

Vladimir returned my hug and mumbled, "So... I heard you are getting married."

I felt my good mood dampen and I nodded into his shoulder, "Yeah... yippee..."

"Do you not want to?" he asked carefully as he pulled away from me. I'd thought about it and yes, I wanted to marry Marcus but I felt as though I'd never be ready to walk down the aisle to him. I always felt so nervous and afraid. What if I said the wrong thing? What if I tripped and fell? What am I saying, vampires can't trip. I was just being neurotic.

I nodded to Vladimir, "Of course I do. I'm just nervous. All brides have a right to be nervous before their wedding."

"True," Vladimir said with a smile, "Do you have any idea what you're going to do for your bachelorette party?"

I laughed, "Do you actually care?"

"Yes," he said with a grin. We both found this conversation very humorous. Why would the proud Romanian leader Vladimir 'the Impaler' ever show any interest in a bachelorette party? "Stefan and I have been pondering this for a while and... we would like to ask you what you want to do. We will take care of everything. Just say it and consider it done."

I smiled, "You'd do that for me?"

He nodded, "Of course! Why wouldn't w-" He couldn't finish because he'd been tackled to the ground in a hug and was being kissed on the cheek repeatedly. He laughed and tried to push me off, "Stop, stop! If Marcus sees this, he will suspect something."

I rolled my eyes as I stood, "Oh, come on. He knows I love him. Why would I leave him? He's perfect... not that you aren't." I added and then sighed, "Well now, let's see. What do I want to do for a bachelorette party?"

I held up my hands suddenly as I had an epiphany, "Wait! I've got it!" I grinned at Vladimir, "What if... wait, this needs to be very secret." He nodded and I continued, "He can't know about this, none of them can. It's between you, me and Stefan, got it?" He nodded again, becoming impatient and I grinned wider, "I want to spend my bachelorette spying on Marcus's bachelor party."

I felt my grin get wider as Stefan's simpering face appeared in the doorway, "Did I hear the word 'spy'? I hope you know, draga mea, that I was an expert spy in my human years."

"Then this should be a fun exercise for you," I said, tilting my head in thought. "Now what would Aro be planning for Marcus's bachelor party?"

Stefan scoffed, "My bachelor party was amazing. It consisted of fine women and plentiful drink, the blood flowing like wine. It was perhaps the best day of my life." My blood began to boil. Fine women? There was no way in Hell I would let Aro bring in women and let them loose on Marcus. I made a mental note to tell Tiffany of this soon so that she could have some control over her new 'best friend'.

"Let's hope Aro isn't stupid enough to bring other women into this castle," I grumbled angrily and I paced, my hands behind my back as I thought, "None of the leaders like to leave the castle... so they won't be leaving for a strip club. The castle will be swarmed with Volturi guards... so we'll need a man on the inside to find out where they are... I'll give that job to Alec. Can someone keep a tab on the phone lines?"

Stefan grinned, "Already taken care of, mea draga. I've even hacked into Aro, Marcus and Caius's cellphones so that anytime they get a call, it tranfers information to us. I'm sure Alec would be more than willing to be our spy on the inside, trading secrets to Jane whilst in the presence of your fiance..."

I sighed, "He's not my fiance yet."

"He hasn't proposed?" Vladimir asked confused. "But you said you were getting married."

I nodded, "Yeah, I am. I'm just waiting on Marcus."

Stefan scoffed, "The poor bastard... I'm surprised Aro hasn't nagged his ear off because of it. Marcus will propose soon enough, I'm sure. Aro wouldn't let him go this long..."

"He's already tried to propose," I interrupted.

"What, did you decline?" Vladimir asked.

I smiled, "Why would I ever decline a marriage proposal from one of the most gentle and loving men in the world? I was going to say yes but before he could actually propose..."

"Sulpicia..." Stefan grumbled, "That's it, isn't it? She tore you away from him before he could propose. God damn it, that woman..."

I sighed, "It's fine, I'm sure. I've learned a lot from that experience and, aside from not being able to answer Marcus's proposal, I am very glad she did it. He'll ask again, soon I hope. We have forever... I just don't want to spend part of eternity waiting for him."

~M/S~

"Brother..." Aro whined, "Why have you not even considered proposing?"

Marcus glared at Aro, "Are you sure your moronic wife won't try to tear her away from me again if I do? Who knows what catastrophie she'll cause next! She ran into my room earlier today to measure my mate for her _wedding dress_, as if she has any right to plan our wedding, and spoke of a bachelor party that you were supposedly planning. The mere mention of a bachelor party upset my mate! Aro, control your wife!"

Caius sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. As much as he enjoyed having the old, lively Marcus back, he didn't quite enjoy the yelling and the accusations. He held up a hand, "Marcus, brother, not to create any more stress and anger but it sounded like you just said you weren't going to propose because you were afraid of what Sulpicia might do. There is no reason to be afraid or upset. It is your wedding, your mate and your choice. You may do as you please, whether or not Sulpicia wants you to or not. You are a king and she is a mere queen. Take charge, Marcus, or you shall lose your mate."

"I shall control Sulpicia to the best of my abilities. Caius is correct. This is your wedding. You may choose when to ask your mate for marriage and you may choose what to do on said wedding. Sulpicia has no say and I shall make sure she knows this," Aro said calmly, trying to divert some of Marcus's anger. "Go to Styx now. I'm sure she misses you."

Marcus felt some of the anger leave him and become replaced by happiness. Seeing Styx always made him feel great; whether they were cuddled close or just talking together, her mere presence made him happy. He left the room, giving Aro a narrow warning glare before darting to the Romanian castle.

He skidded to a stop beside Vladimir's office door. He could hear Styx talking, "He's not my fiance yet." Marcus's venom ran cold. Why would she be talking about him to the Romanians? They _were_ her closest friends. Perhaps she was confiding some secrets to them. Just in case, Marcus kept quiet and listened in.

"He hasn't proposed?" Vladimir asked. "But you said you were getting married."

"Yeah, I am. I'm just waiting on Marcus." Marcus winced. He never meant to make her wait this long. Guilt surged through him and it made him want to barge into the room to propose right then and there but he didn't have the ring with him. It was in his room.

Stefan scoffed, "The poor bastard... I'm surprised Aro hasn't nagged his ear off because of it. Marcus will propose soon enough, I'm sure. Aro wouldn't let him go this long..."

"He's already tried to propose." Marcus's eyebrows shot up. She knew what he'd been trying to do before? Well, it wasn't a mystery. He'd been reaching for his pocket when they'd been interrupted. It must have been obvious.

"What, did you decline?" Vladimir asked.

"Why would I ever decline a marriage proposal from one of the most gentle and loving men in the world?" Marcus beamed. "I was going to say yes but before he could actually propose..." Marcus's heart did a back flip. She was going to say yes?!

"Sulpicia..." Stefan grumbled, "That's it, isn't it? She tore you away from him before he could propose. God damn it, that woman..." Marcus felt very much the same way now. She would have said yes. They would be married already. She'd have his last name. She'd officially be his. He was going to _murder_ Sulpicia!

Styx sighed, "It's fine, I'm sure. I've learned a lot from that experience and, aside from not being able to answer Marcus's proposal, I am very glad she did it. He'll ask again, soon I hope. We have forever... I just don't want to spend part of eternity waiting for him."

Marcus sighed as well and decided this was as good a time as ever to reveal himself, "You don't have to."

As he stepped into the room, Vladimir and Stefan hissed in anger. They both crouched, "You were spying on us?" Stefan snarled, "How much did you hear?"

"Styx was talking about how I'm not her fiance yet," Marcus clarified and everyone else in the room sighed in relief. Marcus wondered idly why they were so concerned about how much he heard but it flew to the back of his mind when his mate flew into his arms. He cradled her and nuzzled his face to her cheek, "Cara mia, I'm..."

"Don't," Styx said sternly, staring into his scarlet eyes, "Don't be sorry. Never say that to me. You have nothing to be sorry about. You are perfect and even your mistakes are perfect, not that you've made one. When you proposed before, I was nervous and uncertain if I wanted to marry you but the time away from you, meeting new people and battling old foes, made me realize how much I really needed you. I realized I couldn't live too long without you or I'd go insane."

Styx grabbed Marcus's face and pressed her forehead against his, closing her eyes, "The time you've spent 'procrastinating' or 'waiting' or whatever, has given me time to think. And after thinking long and hard about it, I have one thing to say."

"And what is that, my love?"

"Yes," Styx said with a smile. "Yes, I will marry you. You don't need to propose because proposing is just asking if I want to be with you and you already know the answer. Yes, yes, a million times yes and know that from this point on, I'm yours and you are mine."

Marcus grinned, "I agree whole-heartedly," and he leaned up, pressing his lips to hers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Vampires can't trip, I chanted to myself in my head as I ran down the mountain as fast as I could, the werewolf sprinting behind me, vampires can't trip, vampires can't-whoop! I fell forward, my body tumbling and crashing into trees as I fell down the hill, the wolf right behind me the entire way. The whole time, I growled to myself in agony: vampires can't trip, MY ASS!

I finally tumbled to a stop and I stared in horror as the wolf leapt and his claws were inches from my face, his open jaws closing around my throat...

I sat up in bed and screamed as loud as I could, Marcus jumping in surprise beside me as his red eyes went wide. I panted, my eyes darting around the room as I shook with fear. What had just happened? A daydream? Vampires can't sleep so it couldn't have been a nightmare. Marcus put his hand on my arm and I flinched, quickly turning to him to apologize. I didn't know what was wrong with me.

"Are you okay?" he asked and I shook my head, tears flooding my eyes. I was so afraid.

The door slammed open and Aro, Caius and Felix filed in, Stefan and Vladimir peering through the door. Thankfully Marcus and I were wearing clothes this time and Aro sighed when he saw we weren't harmed. Caius narrowed his eyes in alarm, "What happened?"

"Uh... daymare?" Marcus suggested and I shrugged. It could have been a premonition, like Alice has occasionally, or just a really realistic daydream.

I looked at them and Aro's expression became concerned, "Oh, dear... you look so frightened... May I ask what your, uh... daymare was about?"

I swallowed roughly, "Werewolf... was attacking me..."

Caius snarled, "Filthy beasts... you have no reason to fear them. The Children of the Moon have been extinct for centuries." Marcus remained silent but gave Caius a strange look. Caius sighed and shook his head, "I know for a fact, Marcus. I killed the last of them in Belarus while they were migrating to Russia. There is no possible way they could still exist. I took care of them personally."

My nerves calmed a bit at Caius's words but I still couldn't help the chill that came to my skin at the memory of those claws and those sharp, vampire-skin-tearing teeth. I shivered and Marcus held me a little closer. Aro pursed his lips in thought, his eyes narrowing as he tapped his chin, "There were those shape-shifters in Forks..."

Now that I thought about it, Renesmee, the little girl I'd thought was an immortal child, was accompanied by a large russet wolf. It didn't look exactly like the wolf in my daymare... but it was close enough to give me the shakes.

Caius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Aro, I was trying to calm her nerves... you are not helping..."

"My apologies," Aro said, bowing to me, "I am afraid I must adjourn to the throne room for now... business, you see..." With that, he left Marcus, Caius, Stefan, Vladimir and I alone. Stefan and Vladimir, satisfied with seeing me safe, left without a word.

Caius sighed once again and to my surprise, put his hand on my head and gave me a soft smile, "I am sorry for Aro's... personality. He is always looking for answers, never regarding other's feelings on the matter." I nodded; I knew what Aro was like and I knew he didn't do it on purpose. It was just the way he was, like how Marcus always looked saddened or how Caius had an almost permanent scowl on his face. There was no changing the Volturi lord. "I can assure you that there are no Children of the Moon in these regions nor any other region. There are gone... and I pray they no longer plague your mind, young one."

I blinked up at Caius, stupified by the rarity that was one of his non-murderous smiles. When he wasn't trying to get someone killed, he actually looked kinda... cute. I would have blushed if able and I stood, looking at him for a moment before reaching forward and hugging him around his chest. He was frozen at first, unsure of how to react to my hug, but then akwardly put his hands on my back and he relaxed, pulling me to him.

I smiled when I felt him relax, "Thank you for making me feel better, Caius."

"Anytime, Styx," Caius mumbled back and before I could say another word, he was gone.

Marcus chuckled behind me and I turned to see him smirking, "You embarrassed him. The only other person he has ever touched willingly has been Athenadora. He would not console someone so easily without a good reason."

I shrugged and waved it off, "It's probably because I brought Athenadora back to him. He's just super grateful that I stayed with her and kept her safe while we were away."

He shrugged and beckoned me back to the bed, "I suppose. Now come rest, tomorrow is a big day."

I sighed and slipped back into bed, curling into Marcus's arms and frowning, "Yeah, a huge day filled with table cloth picking, invitation making and wedding dress making. It's going to be torture being without you, love. The entire day I'm going to be with Sulpicia and Athenadora and I won't be able to see you for hours and hours..."

"Patience, love. Do not think of tomorrow as a day you won't see me. Think of it as a day where you are planning for us to be together for eternity. In a few days, you will have me forever. Isn't it worth a day without me?"

"Nothing is worth a day without you," I grumbled, burying my face farther into his chest. I sighed deeply, "I spent a month without you and that almost killed me. A day without you is like being stabbed. I guess I can bare it but only if I can call or text you or something. I need contact with you or I'm afraid I'll go mad."

He chuckled, "You won't go mad. You can contact me anytime you feel upset or overwhelmed or flustered. If needed, I'll go to where ever you are, pick you up and bring you home." His reassurance made me feel way better. I snuggled into his arms as he began humming a song I didn't know. It was strange but pretty, sort of like me. I smiled and began planning for the next day in my head.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Can you even comprehend how painful this is for me?" I asked grimly as Sulpicia tied a pink bow around my waist. She put her finger tips on her lips in thought and shook her head with a grimace, tearing the silk ribbon away. I stumbled a bit and sighed, my fluffy white dress rising and falling. Athenadora steadied me and smiled in sympathy. She knew what I was going through. Apparently, Sulpicia had nearly ruined her wedding with her antics. In the end, Sulpicia had been trapped in the dungeons while the wedding took place. I worried for my sanity and my wedding.

Sulpicia pulled a few pins from my hair, letting it fall to my shoulders. I shook my head, letting more hair fall, and she sighed frustratedly, "No, no, no... that's too much hair..."

I sulked, "My wedding. I'll dress how I want."

"I am not letting you dress like a you were dressed by a chimp," Sulpicia hissed, tucking a few strands back into place.

"But I look fine," I groaned.

Sulpicia scoffed, "Fine? No, you must look flawless. Marcus will except no less."

I felt myself pale, "What?"

"Sully, don't tease her. Marcus will love you, no matter what you look like," Athenadora reassured but I felt my body temperature plummet. What if he didn't think I was pretty?

I panicked, "Sulpicia, make me pretty."

"I'm trying, sweetheart. Give me time and a bit of luck," she replied, applying some blush to my cheeks. I winced at the strong smell of the makeup but didn't complain. I wanted to look pretty for Marcus. If I wasn't pretty, he might not want me and if he doesn't want me, he won't consumate the marriage... I gulped back my fear. Consumation, whoo boy, what a topic. I wouldn't dwell on that long. Nope.

Athenadora put a soothing hand on my shoulder, "It'll be fine. Don't let Sully get to you. You know Marcus loves you. He won't hate you just because you don't look pretty. You're already adorable. If he doesn't love that then phooey on him. He doesn't deserve you." Phooey? Oh my God, and Athenadora calls _me_ adorable.

I turned to hug Athena and Sulpicia hissed, holding up a bent pin. I smiled nervously, "Whoops... sorry."

"You'd better be sorry. That was my favorite gold pin," Sulpicia growled, tucking the bent pin behind her ear and pulling out another silver one, purposely sticking me in the side. I yelped and glared at her as she continued working on the dress. I couldn't believe the owners of the store just let her use their supplies and work their stuff for free. I'd blinked in surprise when Sulpicia had merely batted her eyes at them and they'd opened the whole store to her, free of charge.

Athena brushed my hair over one of my shoulders and smiled, "Never mind cute, you're gorgeous. Marcus would be crazy not to love you. In fact, I'll have to keep Caius on a tight leash tomorrow. You'll capture all the men's hearts."

I blushed and laughed, "Sure, Athena. Whatever you say."

"She's not wrong," Sulpicia grumbled. "You look far better than many vampire women we've seen over the years asking for Marcus's hand. And this is with makeup on. Without makeup, I'd say you were as beautiful as..." She stopped talking and worked on my dress more.

"As beautiful as who?"

Athena sighed sadly, "Didyme." Oh, right. Marcus's dead wife. I shouldn't have asked. I felt horrible now.

"Oh geez, I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," Sulpicia snapped. "She's been dead for hundreds of years. I am just glad Marcus has finally found someone to replace her."

I felt even worse. "I don't want to replace her. I was under the impression she had the power to make everyone happy. I don't make everyone happy. I could never replace her." Oh, how depressing. Now I felt inadequate for Marcus.

"I meant in Marcus's heart," Sulpicia explained. "For decades, Marcus has had a hole in his heart and now, he's found someone to fill it. He's been grumpy, negative and silent for the longest time and now he speaks often, has been joyful and positive. You are the antidote to this sickness cast over Marcus. You are his cure."

I felt a little better but I wasn't sure. It still made me sad that I was Marcus's second wife. It made me feel like I could never match up to perfect Didyme. Athenadora tilted my chin up, "Cheer up, sorellina. Soon enough, you'll be in your husband's arms, safe, sound and happy." I smiled and nodded; she was right. It almost made me wonder if Athenadora had the same power as Didyme.

"There... flawless, perfect, you'll have every man there eating out of your hands," Sulpicia said triumphantly as she stood me in front of a mirror. I gasped. I was beautiful. My dark hair was curled, my lips as red as my eyes and my creamy pale skin had a slight blush to it as though I still had blood rushing through my veins. My dress was strapless, an off-white color with a thin red rose design spidering up the sides. If it weren't for the fact that the girl staring back at me had the same shocked expression, I would have thought she was someone else.

Athenadora squealed with delight and hugged me tight, "Oh, our little Sticky is going to be married!" She spun me in a circle and I smiled, groaning when she squeezed me hard enough to break ribs.

Sulpicia put a hand on her shoulder and giggled, "Athena, you're going to break Marcus's bride." Athenadora put me down and I sighed. I was Marcus's bride. It was still hard to fathom.

There was a maniacal laugh and someone weak tackled me from behind. I laughed as Tiffany detached herself from me and grinned, "It's so beautiful! Sully, you're a fashion genius."

Sulpicia bowed with a flourish and smiled smugly, "Thank you, thank you..."

"You look dazzling, cara mia." I froze and turned to the voice, smiling nervously when I saw Aro and Caius walking to us. I wondered where Marcus was but assumed he wanted to wait to see the wedding dress. Aro smirked at me, "He's being fitted for his suit at home. Caius and I came in to be fitted for our suits here... but I see this spot is taken."

Sulpicia laughed, "Feel free to work with us, Aro. She is nearly done."

As the boys entered a back room to be fitted, Tiffany rushed to me, "Have you figured out who your bride's maids are?"

"Of course she has. Athena and I shall be her bride's maids," Sulpicia stated matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes, "Tiffany is going to be the maid of honor as I am going to assume Aro will be Marcus's best man. Tiffany and Aro are walking together, Caius is walking with Athena and... huh... who are you walking with, Sully?"

Sulpicia groaned, "I suppose I'll have to walk with that blasted dark haired brute of a Romanian..."

"Nope," I said with a smirk. "He's walking me down the aisle to Marcus. You'll have to walk with Vladimir."

Her mouth dropped open, "The little albino impaler? Oh, god help me..."

I laughed and someone tapped my shoulder. It was Aro and he was grinning, "Marcus sends his deepest apologies for not being here but he insisted on only seeing you in your wedding dress on your wedding day. He had me bring you this as a gift because he felt bad." With that, he handed me a rose.

I gawked at it, "It's beautiful..."

"Hmm, yes. Marcus was always fond of the color red. His cravat is going to be red and he'll have a rose in his lapel. I'm so glad Sulpicia had the same rose idea. You're going to match each other," Aro said with a happy sigh.

I smiled, "Me too. Hey, has Marcus picked out his best men?"

"Of course. I'm his best man, followed by Caius and... uh... he hasn't picked out a third yet," Aro said. "I'm afraid Tiffany will have to walk with..."

I smirked at him smugly, "Oh no... you see, Tiffany is my maid of honor. You'll be walking with Tiffany. It's Sulpicia who'll have to find someone else to walk with. Might I suggest Vladimir as Stefan is walking me down the aisle to Marcus and will be unavailable?"

"That's actually a good idea. Vladimir would impale me if he wasn't able to play a big part in your wedding. I hope you don't mind; Carlisle will be the pastor..." I tackled Aro in a hug and he chuckled, "I guess you don't mind."

I grinned, "Mind? I love it! I haven't seen Carlisle in ages! Bring the entire Cullen clan! The Denalis! Oh, and make sure the Egyptian coven can make it. It would be tragic if my good friend Benjamin were unable to make it." Suddenly remembering something, I walked to my disgarded pants and pulled out the gold bracelet from Egypt. "Could you give this to Marcus? Oh!" I pulled out the post cards as well. "And these too? I wrote them while I was away."

"Of course," Aro said with a smile. Then he walked to the back room to be fitted.

I went back to Sulpicia to get my dress taken off and she glowered at me, "You lied to me."

"Technically, I didn't lie. You just didn't ask," I said slyly. "And I didn't send the post cards. I kept them and wrote them but I didn't send them."

Sulpicia grumbled and peeled the last bit of white lace off me, "There, now get your leather clothes back on. We're going shopping for lingerie and you're going to like it."

I gulped back my fear, "Lingerie?"

Athenadora squealed, "Yay, lingerie!"

Tiffany face-palmed and sarcastically added, "Oh boy, lingerie."

Before I could argue, I was being tugged out of the clothing store and into another store, filled with lace, frills and other... very odd things. Sulpicia parked me in front of a huge rack of multicolored lingerie and studied me, her eyes flickering to the racks above and around me occasionally. She pointed to the lingerie above my head, "Let's try that one on first and..." she pointed to a red lacy pair beside me, "then that one."

I gulped as Athenadora pulled the black pair from above my head and the red pair beside me. Sulpicia shoved me into the dressing room and tossed the lingerie over the door. I grumbled and pulled the lacy pairs of panties and bras off my head, looking at them with distaste. Bleh, lace. Lace is itchy. I stuck out my tongue at them and peered over the door, "Do I have to get lingerie?"

Sulpicia pushed my head down and her furious eyes glared at me from over the door, "Yes." Athenadora's bright eyes appeared next to Sulpicia and every once in a while, I'd see a pair of green eyes pop up over the edge of the door. Athena grabbed the back of Tiffany's shirt and held her up so all three of them could eye me. Sulpicia hissed, "Lingerie is manditory for a wedding. Marcus will think you're sexy."

I pouted, "But..."

"No buts," Sulpicia snapped and lowered herself from above the door. Athena followed and I heard a yelp as Tiffany dropped back to the floor. I sighed and held up the black pair first. It was so skimpy; I hated it. Despite my blatant hate for this type of clothing, I put it on begrudgingly and looked at myself in the mirror. I blinked in surprise; I did look sexy.

There was a knock at the door and I winced at Sulpicia's voice, "We're waiting."

I gawked in fear, "I have to go out there? What if Aro or Caius sees me?"

"They won't. Don't be a baby," Sulpicia called impatiently.

I took a deep breath and stepped out of the dressing room. The girls' eyes lit up and Sulpicia beamed, "See? What did I tell you? You look absolutely..."

Our eyes flew to the door as Aro stepped in, his eyes closed as he spoke, "So I was thinking and maybe we could have..." His eyes opened and we stared at each other in shock. I was in shock because I was standing in very skimpy lingerie in front of someone who wasn't my mate or best girl friend. He was in shock because he'd walked in at the worst time. He turned on his heel and walked out hurriedly and I spun and locked the door of the dressing room, silently vowing to never leave that small room ever again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"What do I have to do before you accept my apology?"

"Erase Aro's memory," I growled, stomping down the hallways of the Volturi castle. Sulpicia, Athena and Tiffany followed suit, each looking nervous and unsettled. I passed by a lot of people, including Stefan and Vladimir, that I would have spoken to in an instant, had I not been incredibly pissed at Sulpicia and hell bent on finding my mate.

I almost broke open the doors to the throne room and didn't make eye contact with anyone but Marcus as I stalked across the room and curled into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and gave Sulpicia a questioning look, "What happened?"

"Well, there was an accident concerning some lingerie and... Aro..." Sulpicia mumbled quietly. Marcus didn't grow angry as Caius would have done or become distressed about my mental health like Aro. He merely cuddled me in his arms and held me close.

Sulpicia left the room as Athena dropped into Caius's lap and Tiffany sat on the arm of Aro's chair, happy to be his pet human until it was time for him to change her. I drew a pattern on Marcus's chest with my finger through his shirt as I thought, "Marcus..."

"Hmm?"

"Can we go to your room please?" I asked quietly and within seconds he was opening his bedroom door and lying with me on the bed. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before sighing, "Am I... sexy?"

Marcus arched an eyebrow, "What brought this question on, love?"

I groaned, "Sulpicia's under the impression that if I don't look sexy, you won't want me." I rolled onto my side away from him and curled into a ball, "She's got me scared that you won't want me."

I felt him slip a hand under me and roll me into his arms, hugging me tight, "Of course, I want you. I want you more than anything in the world. You are the most precious diamond in the universe and I wouldn't give you up for anything. There will never be a day where I don't want you, all of you, all the time. To answer your first question, yes you are sexy. You just don't choose to flaunt it like other girls, like Sulpicia and Athenadora, do."

See, this is why I love Marcus. So compassionate and understanding. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips, "You make me sound perfect when I know for a fact that I'm not."

Marcus smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me on top of him, "Oh, but I think you are perfect. Perfect lips..." he kissed me, "perfect hair," he ran a finger through my thick black locks, "perfect figure..." he ran a hand down my side and I shuddered, making him smile smugly for a moment, "perfect eyes..." he put a hand on my cheek and stared into my eyes, "perfect everything."

I almost wished I could blush, just so I could see a smile on his face. I leaned down and pressed another kiss to his lips, deepening it and tangling my hands in his thick, dark hair. His hands danced along my sides and skimmed the fringe of my shirt, making me freeze for a second. He stopped touching my sides and caught my hands, pressing a kiss to my knuckles, "We'll wait till our wedding night for that, my love."

I nodded and laid my head on his chest, sighing in relief, "I haven't been intimate with anyone since..." I hated to think about Michael at a time like this but he was the only other person I'd slept with ever.

"I know," he said softly. "We have eternity. Remember that."

I smiled. Eternity with Marcus... sounded like a dream.

~M/S~

"Alright now, just relax," I said calmly, holding Tiffany's hands as Aro circled her. It was very tense in the room. Aro wasn't used to a calm, reasonable approach to turning someone. He was always very quick and rough about it. He was stalking around her like a shark waiting for it's prey to stop struggling or a lion waiting for the antellope to trip.

Marcus put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back from Tiffany. I stared into her eyes and nodded my head, "It's going to be okay. I'll be here the entire time. I won't leave your side." I was so scared for her. She was being so brave about this. She just kept her eyes on him the entire time.

She gave me a grateful smile and jumped in surprise when Aro ran at her. He stopped right before her and smirked, circling again. I growled, "That's not fair, Aro." Tiffany looked up at me in confusion and I rolled my eyes, "He likes seeing the fear in his prey's eyes before he changes them." Before he kills them, is what I meant to say but I didn't want to scare her.

"I'm not afraid of him."

My eyebrows shot up in shock. For one, even I was afraid of Aro sometimes, for his unpredictablity. Two, you don't say that you're not afraid of a vampire right in front of him. It's like a challenge and an insult. I groaned as Aro got a weird look on his face and before I knew it, he leaned down to her neck and bit down.

Tiffany's screams echoed through the room and out into the empty stone hallways. I winced at the thought of how much pain she had to endure. Aro leaned back up and wiped his mouth, "Now she'll be afraid."

"Aro, that was mean," I snapped. "She didn't mean anything rude by that. She meant that she cares about you and doesn't... well, didn't... think you would hurt her in purpose. She loves you."

He seemed to ponder this for a second before his eyes lit up, "She loves me?"

"In one ear and out the other," I grumbled. "Yes, she loves you. Is that all you caught of that scolding?"

Aro grinned, "Pretty much." He swayed in place a little, "Forgive me... the previous action has made me thirsty. I am going to go eat." Then he left. I stared at his back as he walked away and shook my head in wonder. What did she see in him? The black hair? The insanity? Maybe it was the laugh. Yeah, it was probably the laugh.

Marcus put his arm around my waist, "I think I shall join my brother in feeding. Will you be alright here, by yourself?"

"I'm a big girl. I can handle myself," I said smugly, turning in his arms and giving him a light kiss on the nose. "Although..."

Marcus smiled, "Yes, my love?"

I smiled back, "My fiance could get me a human to eat while I'm with my friend... you know, if he wants to..."

"Consider it done, my dearest," he said, hugging me tight. "We'll be back before nightfall."

"'Kay. I love you," I whispered, already feeling empty without him.

He sighed happily, "I love you too, mi amore." With that, he turned and sprinted after Aro. I rubbed my arm and smiled after him sleepily. He was so perfect. I shook myself and walked back to Tiffany, holding her hand as she writhed. I didn't want her to be in pain. I wished that the process would go faster or that there would be a way where there was no pain at all. To see her in pain was almost as bad as being away from Marcus.

"Styx," called a voice and I almost growled, knowing she'd want me to come away from my friend, to which I would refuse immediately. "I was just wondering if you would like some blood. You haven't eaten in days." That was new. Sulpicia was concerned about my wellbeing, not about my attire. That was very un-Sulpicia like.

I turned slightly, enough for her to see I was talking to her, "Marcus is bringing me back a human to feed on. Just so everyone knows, I'm not leaving Tiffany's side while she's changing. I promised I wouldn't. Is that all?"

I saw her wince out of the corner of my eye and felt only a small bit of guilt. She hung her head, "Yes, that is all." She turned around to leave and stopped at the door, "Styx, I apologize. I really shouldn't be trying to run your wedding for you. It's a special time for you and Marcus and I'm sorry. I guess I was just trying to make up for the botched wedding Aro and I had." The guilt rolled over me in waves now. God damn it Sulpicia, why do you have the uncanny ability to make people feel bad for you?

I sighed, "I suppose I forgive you... as long as you stop trying to run my wedding for me. If I need your help, I'll ask for it." She nodded rapidly and rushed forward, engulfing me in a hug. For a moment, I just sat there, feeling like Caius, but then I hugged her back, happy to have one of my closest friends back.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I wondering idly if this is how I'd looked when I'd changed. Tiffany had stopped writhing and was now just lying there, her heart pitter-pattering furiously. It had been three days. Today was the day, I thought to myself with a smile. I'd have my eternal best friend and Aro would have his mate.

There was a knock at the door and I opened it, pleased to see Vladimir and Stefan waiting for me. I grinned, "Hey, guys!"

"Hello, hello!" Stefan cried, brushing past me into the room. Vladimir followed and both stared at me expectantly. I stared right back until Stefan cleared his throat, "The wedding... we'd like to know what we're doing."

Vladimir nodded, "Yes, we have not heard word of it in a long while. Are we groom's men..."

"Or perhaps one of us could be the pastor," Stefan suggested.

I grinned, "No, no, no... Vladimir, you're walking with Sulpicia. You're one of the groom's men. Stefan will be walking me down the aisle, since I don't really have a dad."

Stefan looked overjoyed and hugged me tightly, "How positively brilliant!"

Vladimir however looked a little less than happy, "Sulpicia? But she's..."

"I insist," I said quietly. "It's either that or you're not in the ceremony. I don't know where else we'd put you."

He looked so torn. As my brother, he'd definitely get a spot in my wedding but he just hated the spot. He didn't want to be near the she-devil that stole me away. In truth, he wanted to be in Stefan's spot. If it were possible, I'd let them both do it but... eh, what the heck. Why not?

"You know... I don't see a problem with you both walking me down the aisle," I said with a smile. They both grinned at me but before they could speak, I heard Tiffany's heart speed up behind me. I spun and ran to her, grasping her hands in mine, "Only a few more seconds..."

It was torture to wait. Her heart pounding and her breathing becoming laboured. Then all at once, her heart stopped and she let out her last breath. I nibbled my bottom lip in worry; what if she didn't make it? Her eyes snapped open and my heart jumped in my chest. The green had turned to vibrant red and were darting all around in the room in shock. I smiled, "Welcome back."

Her eyes landed on me and I gasped when she sat up and leaped over to me, leaning over me threateningly. Stefan and Vladimir were between us in an instant. They held onto her tightly and Stefan spoke to me over his shoulder, "Do not worry about your friend, draga mea. She's a newborn. All newborns are like this at first."

I nodded but still stared wide eyed at my crazy best friend. There was a knock at the door and to my surprise, Aro walked in, "What's all the fuss... Tiffany?" As soon as she saw him, Vladimir and Stefan were thrown aside like rag dolls and Tiffany was attacking Aro... well, I think she was attacking... oh... heh, nope, not attacking. From my angle, it looked like she was kissing him all over and he was laughing maniacally.

There would have been a very deep blush on my face, had I had enough blood for that, and I swiftly turned to exit the room, my Romanian brothers gladly following my example. I found myself walking idly around the castle, my mind wandering to very different things. As suddenly as I'd begun to think, I ran into the one person who could snap me out of my musings, "Hello, my love."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and engulfed me in a hug, "Hello, mi amore." He seemed upset about something but I didn't question it. I just hugged him and held him close, hoping that my presence did something to calm whatever discomfort he may have had.

I shifted in his arms and looked up at him, "Is there something wrong, love?"

Marcus looked over my head and took a breath through his nose, debating on whether or not to share his thoughts. He looked back down at me and sighed, "Nothing of importance, my dearest."

"Anything that distresses you is important to me, Marcus. Now tell me, what's on your mind," I said softly, touching his cheek. He leaned into my touch and breathed out with a smile. He turned his head and kissed my palm, bringing both my hands to his mouth to kiss my knuckles.

He smiled and looked up at me with his crimson eyes, "My love, I was just having the, as you say, before-wedding-jitters. I have been alone for so long, I forgot how stressful the day before the wedding could be. I apologize for worrying you."

This was surprising for me. I had never known Marcus to be afraid of anything, let alone our wedding. To know that he was as worried as I was about our wedding day boosted my confidence a little bit. I grabbed his hand gently and kissed each finger tip then his palm. He sighed softly and I pressed his hand to my cheek, "Marcus, we are together in this. You certainly cannot be more nervous than me. This is my first wedding, remember. I have never been through this before. We have to help each other through this. Tell you what, I'll make you a deal."

"Hmm?"

"How about this... I walk down the aisle and you wait for me. Once we're together, we'll say a few words and kiss then we'll rush out and go on some vacation, just us for a whole week, how's that?" I said with a grin. I was pretty proud of myself. I'd just made a wedding sound like a jail break.

He chuckled at me and leaned down, bringing me into a hug, "It sounds like a plan, my love. You know... you have the amazing ability to make me happy." I frowned at his words, immediately reminded of his dead wife. "I am so lucky to have found you, after all these years. Without a person like you, I... well, I would probably have killed myself."

I gripped his neck much too hard at the thought of him trying to kill himself and he chuckled again, tugging my hands off of his shoulders, "Dearest, I would never do such a thing now that I have you. I would never leave you like that."

I relaxed a bit but felt the need to say, "Never... and I mean _never_... talk about suicide ever again. I could never live without you and the thought of living without you kills me so just please... don't." Venomous tears filled my eyes and I buried my face in his shoulder, muffling my sobs.

He held me tight, "I promise. My love, I will never speak of suicide again. I promise on my undead life."

"I'll hold you to that," I sniffled with a smirk.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I think I'm gonna throw up," I whimpered, staring at Sulpicia, Athena and Tiffany in fright. "I... I can't do this. I'm not ready to get married. I... please don't make me go out there..." Here I was, standing in my wedding dress, ten minutes before the wedding, flipping out.

Sulpicia grabbed my shoulders and shook them, "You can do this! Be the confident queen we know you can be! Marcus loves you and you love Marcus. Don't be afraid to show him." I nodded frightenedly. I did love Marcus. And as far as I knew, Marcus loved me. And I wasn't afraid to show him. I was just afraid to show everyone else. I hated being the center of attention.

Someone knocked on the door of my dressing room and Sulpicia opened it. It was a young man with dark hair and a good build. He smiled at us, "Hello ladies. I have a delivery for... Styx?" I nodded and stepped forward to accept the delivery. The next thing I knew, he had me slung over his shoulder and was running down the hall, while Sulpicia, Athena and Tiffany stared in horror.

"What the hell?!" I cried, trying to kick out of his grasp but he was surprisingly strong. Was he an immortal? I couldn't tell; I was being carted down the hallway and out of the building. "Where are you taking me, you bastard?!"

He chuckled, "Wouldn't you like to know..."

"Yes!" I shouted angrily. "Yes, I would!"

He stopped chuckling, "Shut up."

"But-"

"Shut. Up." he growled and I realized, with a sick feeling in my stomach, that this wasn't a vampire or even one of the Cullen's shapeshifters. This was a Child of the Moon, a real werewolf. One that could rip me apart. I almost screamed but a clawed hand clamped over my mouth and he growled again, his eyes black and his fangs peeking over his lips, "Keep your mouth shut or you'll never see your son of a bitch fiance again."

I wanted to scream, yell and kick the crap out of this guy for calling Marcus a 'son of a bitch' but I kept silent because there were three men just like the man holding me standing next to a van outside. They looked happy to see us, maliciously happy. One of them reached for me but before he could lay one paw on me, there was a rumble.

It was quiet at first, then it became a roar as the building entrance behind us exploded and a newly reborn Tiffany came tearing out, eyes blazing and a scream ripping from her mouth. She was horrifying and I was so glad she wasn't after me. She ripped apart one of the men and the other two jumped onto her, holding her back as the man carrying me threw me into the back of the van. The van doors closed and that was the last thing I saw.

However, I could hear plenty of fighting, screaming, roaring and cracking as I sat in the back of the tiny metal van. I could easily get out but seeing as there were still three werewolves out there and a fourth with an unknown location, I didn't want things to get too messy. Plus, I was in my wedding dress. What shittier way to ruin a dress than to roll around with a bunch of mutts? I don't think so. I peered out the back window of the van and silently cheered Tiffany on. She was one tough newborn.

I screamed quietly as the van started up and it drove away from the fight. I peered out at my friends in terror and mumbled, "Help me please..."

"Heh, you think they will help you?" said a familiar voice. Fuck the dress; I was going to teat that fucker apart. I turned and launched myself at Michael, trying my damnedest to attack him through the strong metal bars. He grinned at me, "Oh, you're so cute when you're mad."

I sneered, "Fuck you."

"Listen up now. Your friends chased me to the border and then beat me senseless. Luckily, they didn't burn all of me. I was able to be pieced back together and get my revenge," Michael hissed.

"What part burned?"

"Huh?" he seemed lost.

"What part did they burn if they didn't burn all of you?" I asked.

He paused for a second and looked uncomfortable. Then he growled when he saw the smug look on my face, "It doesn't matter." I silently thanked my brothers and the others who had chased after Michael. They were brilliant and we needed to share a good laugh when I got back home. Michael glared, "Have you guessed yet that I was the one who sent the Children of the Moon after you?"

"They threw me into a van with you so I assumed you had something to do with it," I said boredly. "Before you go ranting about how triumphant you are, could you explain why you're doing this?"

He smirked, "To get back at you, of course. You had your friends attack me and now I'm returning the favor. I'm having my wolf friends attack you. And not your children, not your brothers, not even your precious Marcus can help you then."

I glared at him, "You're such an asshole. Why did I ever want to be with you?"

"Because I'm good looking, charismatic and I'm a smooth talker," he said smugly. "Now sit down and shut up because this is going to be a long car ride."

~M/S~

Marcus stood at the alter awkwardly. It had been an hour since he'd come down the aisle and an hour that he'd waited for Styx to become his. But there was no sign of her. He couldn't believe she'd stood him up. Carlisle was still standing behind the alter, organizing his papers. He didn't believe Styx was the type of person to stand someone up at the alter and therefore, was waiting very patiently.

Suddenly, Stefan and Vladimir burst through the doors unexpectantly. Everyone's eyes shot to them and Vladimir gasped out, "Styx... kidnapped... werewolves..."

"Impossible!" cried another voice. Caius had strode in with Aro and Alec in tow, "I've killed the last of them! You are lying!"

"Why would we be lying?!" screamed Stefan. "The bride is gone! A wolf-like creature took her! We believe it to be a Child of the Moon! Do you have any idea what my blood pressure would be right now, if I were human?!"

"Enough!" thundered Marcus, the room going silent. "My bride is missing... and the only witnesses say that she was taken by a wolf. Caius, for now, let us just humor them." Caius didn't look happy but it was Marcus's mate and wedding. "Now everyone just stay calm. We need trackers on her scent now. Demetri, lead them. Everyone else, get into groups. We will find her."

Everyone in the room quickly split into groups of five or six and rolled out, two of the groups following Demetri. Aro and Caius led two other groups and before Aro left, he spoke to Marcus, "Brother, I am so sorry this has happened to your mate. We will do everything in our power to help you find her."

"Thank you, Aro," Marcus whispered, his eyes a bit distant, and repeated, "We will find her."

~M/S~

"Oh boy, here we go," Styx grumbled, her face in her palm. "I'm telling you, Aro isn't a shape shifter!"

Michael threw his hands into the air, "He looks exactly like me!"

"Correction, you look exactly like him. He was around for thousands of years before you," I shot back. "Why don't you get over yourself? Why the hell would he want to look like you anyway? Why not someone attractive?"

Michael laughed, "If I'm so horrid and ugly, why did you have a child with me?"

I winced at the memory and didn't reply, instead turning away from him. As I sat with my back to him, I heard him utter a very soft, "Oooooooohhh..." then he began laughing again. I wanted to tear him apart for laughing at my pain but his next words made me freeze, "I can't believe you fell for that!"

"Fell for what?" I snapped.

Michael just grinned at me, "Oh, you always were the emotional type. And that whole production you put on in the forest with your so-called 'mate'. Heh, I didn't think you had it in you to _lie_."

I gawked at him, "I didn't lie. Michael, our son is dead. Why would you joke about something like this? I know you aren't evil and you certainly aren't heartless. I know because we spent three years together and you never treated me like this. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he replied, "nothing at all... And you did lie. You weren't there the whole day when Tobius was diagnosed with the flu, were you? You just were there to hear that your baby was dying and then you fled to wallow in self-pity, isn't that right?" I didn't deem his questions with responses. I only glared.

He continued to smirk, "Well, I was there. I was there when he gained his strength back and beat the virus. I was there for his first day of school. I was there when he became the man he was meant to be and I was the one who killed his foster family. Maybe you should have stuck around a bit longer. You might have had a chance to be a mother. Isn't that what you've always wanted, Regina? To care for a child that was yours and yours alone?"

If I could cry, there were have been tears streaming down my face. My son was alive? "How... but... but I went to his funeral..."

"Correction," he mocked me, "you went to _a_ funeral. You didn't bother to stick around and hear that it wasn't Tobius being buried but his foster brother Daniel. You didn't see the other five coffins with the other five people I killed inside. And you certainly didn't see your own son, leaning against a man he'd come to know as his _father_.

"After his foster family was _tragically murdered_, I took him in and raised him. Oh, and I told him all about you... about how you left when he was just a baby and about how you have such a new and interesting life without him with a man who _eats people_."

"Did you happen to mention that you are on the same diet as Marcus?" I asked. "Or did you leave that part out?"

Michael smiled, "He doesn't know what I am... but he definitely knows what you and that bastard are. In fact, he seems to think he's going to become what he calls a _vampire slayer_. Heh, such a cute kid. Well, not so much a kid anymore. He's about eighteen now. Really good fighter too. Took me on once and I let him win. Suddenly thinks he can take the whole Volturi out in one day. He's got your bravery, I'll give him that."

The truck skidded to a stop and Michael's eyes lit up, "Well, Regina... are you ready to face what you left behind?"

**Whoa, long chapter. Also, I was sort of channeling Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians in this chapter for Michael. I wanted him to be mean and cruel to Styx, making her think she did something wrong. It sounds awesome to me, honestly. But I'll leave it up to the readers to decide on how it went. Also, the baby's name is Tobius. How cute is that?!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I stared at the young man in front of me, slightly dazed. He was tall and had my black hair tied in a ponytail. His eyes were green, also like me, and he had Michael's face entirely. The only difference between Michael and Tobius was his eyes and his hair. In fact... from a distance, he looked extremely similar to Aro. No, I take that back. He looked exactly like Aro but younger and with green eyes.

"Father... who is this woman?" he asked, his voice just as soft and feather light as Aro's but with the smallest flex in his voice, making everything he said sound fascinating. Even while speaking about me, it sounded as though he was examining a new species.

Michael sneered down at me, "This is..." he seemed to debate on his word choice, "your mother." I threw a sarcasticly angry look at him and stood, brushing as much dust off my wedding dress as I could. I took a deep breath and looked at my son, my eyes glistening with tears I could never shed. I wanted to explain myself but I knew him. I'd never even met him and I still knew him. He was like me, stubborn and passionate about something we believed in... and right now, he believed me to be the worst mother in existence.

Tobius looked stunned and blinked at my father in anger, "Is this some sort of joke?"

"When have I ever been the joking type?" asked Michael, his sneer turning up into an annoyed smirk. "She is the one who abandoned you, Tobius. She left you to die for some... _freak_."

I glared at Michael furiously, "I wanted him... I wanted him more than anything and you made me give him up..."

"Be silent," Michael snapped.

I ignored him, "If you hadn't made me give him up, he never would have gotten sick and I never would have left!" I was done being a confused, frightened young girl. I was this boy's mother and I would do anything to protect him. "I wanted him more than anything!"

"I said silence!" Michael snarled.

"Toby..." I whispered desperately, using the nickname I gave him before I had to give him away. "Toby, please listen to me. I didn't know you were alive. I thought you were dead..."

Michael ran at me and grabbed my throat, growling menacingly. I gasped and tore at his hands, trying to get away, but the thing that ultimately stopped him was our son's voice, "Dad, stop!" Michael's grip loosened and then was gone completely as he stared at his son questionably.

"What?" Michael hissed. "Why stop? Why shouldn't I put her in her place? She betrayed us, Tobius! She left us for someone horrible and..."

"She didn't know, Dad," Tobius said hoarsely, "She didn't know I was still alive. I believe her. And she didn't betray us. You told me you left her and took me with you. According to you, you betrayed her!" He was such a brave boy and I was so proud of him. "She's my mom. I can't let you hurt her."

Michael looked horrifically pissed, "I can bloody well hurt her as much as I like, you little snot!" He reached for my hair and yanked, causing a blood-curtling scream to erupt from my mouth.

Tobius's face contorted in anger and sadness, "Don't fucking touch her!"

I shook my head at Tobius, trying to tell him to run away, to be free from Michael, but it was too late. Michael still held me by my hair but his gaze was directed at Tobius, "What did you just say to me?" I was fearing for my son's life when I heard something off in the distance. It was pounding feet, perhaps my friends and family come to save me? I was both wrong and right.

The pounding feet was my family and friends, but it was also the wolves' pounding paws as they rushed to meet them. Michael turned to face the noise and even Tobius stared into the forest beyond in confusion.

Then all hell broke loose.

Stefan and Vladimir had a hold of one of the wolves, Stefan close to ripping the wolf's jaw off and Vladimir trying to snap the wolf's back in half. I saw Carlisle and some of the other Cullen's taking on two of the wolves. In the middle of it all, Marcus, Aro and Caius were sprinting to my aid, Tiffany, Athenadora and Sulpicia behind them, snarling and hissing like someone had thrown away one of their favorite pairs of shoes. To be honest, I had never been more afraid of Marcus in my life.

Apparently, neither had Michael because his eyes went wide and he let go of my hair, taking a few steps back from me to stare at the on-coming hoard, assembled to destroy him and his helpers. I wanted to grin and taunt but I wasn't completely out of trouble yet. Tobius was still too far away from me to be safe. Michael had backed all the way to the van and was anticipating jumping in to escape but his mind must have had the same thought as me. His eyes darted to our son and it was a race to the finish.

Tobius ducked at just the right time and Michael collided with me with a crash, teeth snapping and hands scratching and clawing at anything they could reach. I'd fight to the death for my son. Michael had a grip of my neck for a moment but a flash of black threw him off of me and began attacking him for me. I marveled at how brilliant and brave Marcus was before ushering my still-human-son to my brothers.

Aro and Caius met with me and I quickly explained, "My son was alive all along! He's not dead! Aro, Caius, meet my son Tobius." Tobius didn't look impressed with my soon-to-be brothers-in-law but shook their hands and greeted them politely. Aro looked intrigued with Tobius and after much persuasion, managed to get Tobius to join him for a walk through the forest. I silently thanked Aro for getting Tobius away from danger.

Caius ran with me to where Marcus and Michael were still fighting and I stared in shock and horror as Michael held up Marcus's decapitated head. I went numb all over. Everything blurred around the edges and slowly, my vision became red as I began shaking with fury. Another cold wave of numbness rolled over me as I realized Michael was holding a torch. How'd I miss that before?

Caius leaned toward me slightly, "Any thoughts?"

"Just one," I muttered and focused my entire mind on becoming as fast as I was when I defeated Kathleen. Faster than sound, faster than light, faster than the vampire eye. I needed to save Marcus and if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to go on living. I dug my foot into the dirt behind me and gritted my teeth, knowing I'd be in pain this time.

It was just a blur to me. In one huge, swift movement, I sprinted forward, pulled Marcus's head from Michael's hand and to my chest like a football and shoved the torch into Michael's face, setting him ablaze in mere milliseconds. Michael flew backwards and landed in a heap on the ground, not moving, finally gone.

I tripped while running and rolled across the ground a ways, Marcus's head still clutched in my arms. As soon as I stopped rolling, I let out a scream of pain, my back arching as electric currents of pure agony rolled through me. The speed I had went had put immense pressure on my head and it felt like I split it in half. I held my head tightly and called out, "Caius!"

The blonde Volturi lord was at my side in an instant and I whimpered, "M-Marcus... help Marcus..." He understood and picked up Marcus's head, rushing to attach it to my mate's body. The pain began to subside minutely as I laid on the ground and the sound of the battle behind me gave me something to focus on. I hoped they managed to wipe out the wolves this time.

The sound of footsteps above me and the rotting smell of burning dog fur caused me to tilt my head back and look at the approaching friend or foe. Luckily, it was Stefan and Vladimir, their leather clothing covered in bits of bloody wolf fur and Vladimir's hair stained red in places. Stefan grinned at me, "So... we have a nephew?"

"Indeed you do," I said softly, massaging my temples. Vladimir kindly helped me to sit up and rubbed my temples for me as I continued, "I had no idea he was alive until just a few hours ago. Be nice to him, will you?"

Stefan chuckled, "Of course we will be nice to him. He is our nephew. By the by, what of Alec and Jane?"

I sighed, "They are still my children. I will not neglect them or send them away. I will explain to them that my biological son is still alive and I shall explain to Toby that I was so sad about losing him that I adopted two other children. I hope they get along. I'd hate to have Alec and Jane in one castle and Toby in another."

"Toby?" Vladimir said with a smirk. "Such a simple name."

"His real name is Tobius but I call him Toby," I said smiling warmly. "I am very happy to have my son back. All these years I thought he was dead and now... he's alive and with me again, as he should be. I am just so sad that I did not get to raise him and take care of him like I wanted. He's not a baby anymore. Hell, he's not even a child. He's become a young man... and I've missed my chance at being a mother once again."

Vladimir and Stefan sensed my sadness and rubbed my back, trying to console me. I blinked as a beating heart entered my range of hearing and Tobius walked back over to me with Aro. For a moment, I had a hard time telling the two apart. Their eyes were the only things different. Stefan's mouth dropped open in shock and Vladimir stared at Tobius with a very strange look on his face, like a mix of confusion and amusement.

"Uh, hi," Tobius said quietly, waving a hand at Stefan and Vladimir. The two Romanians shared a look and burst out laughing, Vladimir laughing so hard that he fell onto his back. Aro and Tobius both gave me the same confused look and I understood Vladimir and Stefan's laughter. It was like Aro had cloned himself.

I held back giggles and stood to address my son, "Toby..." I couldn't stand it. I ran forward and nearly crushed him in a hug, "I'm so happy you're alive!" He held me as I sobbed and hushed me, trying to make me feel better. I sniffled and held him as tight as I could without breaking him in half, "You have no idea how much I've missed you... how much I've wished I had never let you go..."

"It wasn't your fault, I'm sure," Tobius said softly. "I know how my father is and how deceiving he can be. I am not going to bend the truth because the truth is my father wasn't a very good person. I know he killed my family..." I reached up and touched his cheek, not realizing it was gloveless. His eyes lit up and he stared at me with a smile, "Oh wow... my mom has super-human powers. I guess I'll have to stop skipping school and saying cusswords or I'll get my ass whoop'd."

I smacked his cheek lightly, "You dare cuss in front of your mother?"

"For the record, you don't look like my mom. You look more like my sister or something," Tobius said with a smirk. "Can I give you knuggies and stick gum in your hair?"

I grinned at him manically, "You can try but I can guarantee you that every last bit of twisted and gum covered hair is going in your mouth while you sleep." His expression became one of great worry as he took in my meaning. "I may look as young as you but right now, I am thirty five years old and I will be treated like your mother. Is that clear?"

"And if you don't, we choose the punishment," Stefan said happily, rubbing his hands together menacingly.

Vladimir crossed his arms and smirked, "And we promise it will not be pleasant." If my threat didn't guarantee his cooperation, my blood covered brothers did. He took one look at them and vigorously shook his head in agreement to me. I smiled at my son and then sighed because I had a son. I had my baby back.

"Styx!" called Caius and I spun to see him kneeling over Marcus's body with a worried expression. I sprinted to him and slid to my knees next to him. I stared down at Marcus's still form and then up at Caius. He didn't look happy at all, which was normal for Caius, but this was a different kind of unhappy. This was sad unhappy, not his usual grumpy unhappy. I gulped back my fear and shook my head.

"No."

"Styx, I'm..."

"No."

Caius stared at me confused, "No what?"

"No, I refuse to believe he's gone," tears filled my eyes as I looked down at Marcus. He was so still. So peaceful. There was a part of me that didn't want to disturb his peace of mind and another part of me screaming at the first part, telling me that this wasn't the kind of peace Marcus needed nor wanted.

I slouched and ran my finger along his arm slowly, "You told me you wouldn't leave me. You lied. I know you didn't plan to lie but it's happened. Now that you've lied to me, I can't believe anything you say or do... including die. You can't die. You're Marcus Volturi, St. Marcus who 'rid Volterra of vampires'. You are a Volturi Lord and my mate and I will not let you die. I refuse to let you die!"

With that, I smashed my fist into Marcus's chest hard. There was a crack from Marcus's body and two guards jumped me, grabbing my arms and holding me back. What I saw next surprised me. Marcus winced after I punched him and sat up, staring at me in shock. My eyes widened, "Marcus..."

"Styx!" he cried, rushing to me and tugging me from the guards' hands. I hugged him to me tightly, almost sobbing into his shoulder. He held me tighter, his arms like iron bars keeping me imprisoned. I blinked back my tears; I had my mate back. It felt so good to be in his arms again. The numbness had disappated and turned to pure joy and happiness. I could never have been happier in all my life.

"I thought I'd lost you," I sobbed and he hushed me, stroking my hair. I pulled back from him and held my fist to his face, "Don't. You. _Ever_. Do that to me again. Understand?" With that, I hugged him again and he gave a sheepish look to Aro and Caius.

"Mom?" said a voice and I pulled away from Marcus to look at my son. He was looking between me and Marcus accusingly. Marcus opened his mouth to speak but I shook my head at him. I touched his finger tips with my hand and gently informed him that I would be taking care of this.

I took a step toward Tobius and sighed, putting my hands together, "Toby... what did your father tell you about me and Marcus?"

"He told me you left him alone with me for some blood-sucking leech," Tobius growled.

"I didn't leave him. He left me. As for Marcus, I found love after six years away from your father. He lied to you. I loved you Toby and I still do," I said quietly, feeling a massive weight lift off my shoulders. "Toby, the only reason I gave you up was because of your father. He wanted our lives to be perfect and he didn't see you in our lives yet. I was forced to give you away. I had no job and my parents... they hated that I had gotten pregnant so early and wouldn't help me. We both would have died."

Tobius stared at the ground in thought. He blinked up at me skeptically, "So you aren't vampires?"

"Oh no, we're vampires. We've been vampires for a long time. Your father was a vampire too. He just never showed or told you," I clarified and he stared at me in astonishment.

"But I thought vampires were mindless, blood-drinking freaks."

I felt my expression dead pan and I droned, "Do we look like mindless, blood-drinking freaks?"

"No."

"Well, alright then," I said, crossing my arms in superiority. I clasped my hands nervously, "Toby... would you like to meet Marcus?"

Tobius was much the same as me when it came to confrontation or introductions. He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I guess..."

I held out my hand to him and Tobius took it, giving me a stressed smile. I walked back to Marcus and put my hands behind my back, "Marcus... this is my son, Tobius. Tobius, this is one of the Volturi kings, Marcus. Toby, Marcus is my mate... and my fiance."

Much like his own father upon meeting Marcus, Tobius stood in front of Marcus and looked him up and down. However, unlike his father, he took a step back and huffed, "Do you promise to make my mom happy?"

"For eternity and beyond, my boy," Marcus replied, glancing at me out of the corner of his eyes and supressing a smile when he saw my tearfully happy expression.

"You'll never do anything to hurt her, like my dad did, and you won't force her to do anything?" he asked and Marcus crossed his heart with his hand. I almost giggled at the innocent gesture. Only children made promises like that. 'Cross my heart and hope to die' was one promise I had become accustomed to in elementary school when we'd promise to save someone a spot at the lunch table. To see Marcus make a promise like that... my heart was damn near exploding.

Tobius stood to his full height and surveyed my fiance one last time, "Know that if you so much as make her frown, I will tear you limb from limb and enjoy burning every little piece of you, bit by bit."

"We copywrited that threat," Vladimir said smugly, rubbing his nails on his jacket and only succeeding in getting blood on them.

Stefan nodded in agreement to his cousin, "It's true. We've used that threat several times. It has become trademark."

I rolled my eyes at them and waited for Marcus to speak. He smiled and replied, "If I ever make your mother upset, surely that is the punishment I deserve."

Tobius stared up at Marcus sternly and then smirked, "You're alright... for a stiff."

I laughed as Marcus got the most confused look on his face, "Stiff?" I walked to my mate and hugged him, sighing at my rebellious son. I rolled my eyes when Tobius became smug and flaunted off.

I called over my shoulder at him, "Tobius, pack your things. You're coming home with me."

"Really?" he called back, staring at me with wide eyes. "They'll let me stay?"

I laughed, "What I say goes in this place, honey. Isn't that right, Marcus?"

"Yes, my love," Marcus muttered into my ear and I smiled. I had my mate, my children, my brothers, my family and friends. There was absolutely nothing that could ruin this moment for me...

"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME DID YOU DO TO YOUR DRESS?!" Sulpicia screeched and I couldn't help but feel that I had spoken too soon.


	8. Chapter 8

"Dress?"

"Check."

"Wedding veil?"

"Check."

"Garter?"

I blushed, "Sulpicia..."

"You have to wear the garter, it's tradition," she insisted, the thin piece of elastic fabric twisted around her fingers. She held it out to me and I sighed, slipping it up my leg and grumbling at Sulpicia. She smirked, "Hey, you started it. You're making me walk with that little albino impaler freak..."

"Ah, ah, ah, don't insult my brothers," I said, tutting disapprovingly. "Besides, I'm not the one who made him one of the groom's men."

Sulpicia huffed, "You convinced Marcus to make him one."

"Like I said, I didn't make him one of the groom's men," I said airily with faux innocence. "Plus, I already promised Stefan he could walk me down the aisle. I can't break my promises. Just grin and bear it. I'll make sure to throw the bouquet your way if you behave."

Sulpicia's eyes lit up, "Deal."

I laughed and the door opened, Tobius popping his head in for a moment, "Mom, they're gonna start the wedding march in a few minutes. Keep an ear out, okay?"

I nodded and he left the room. I took a deep un-needed breath and let it out, trying to push my nervousness out with the air. Tiffany put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed lightly, "You'll be okay. Aro and I aren't far behind. Remember that. This is like a preview for me so... try to make everything look easy. You're good at that."

The comment made me smile. I made everything look easy, eh? Well, this must be the one thing I botch up. My arms shook as Sulpicia stuffed the bouquet of flowers into my hands and my nerves started to fry. I was getting married. I...

"Places, people! Places!" hissed Sulpicia, shoving me out of the dressing room. The wedding was taking place out in the garden and the ceremony would be right in front of the fountain. It was beautiful... but still nerve racking.

Stefan was already standing by the huge doors leading to the garden, dawning a tuxedo and gray cravat. He smiled at me as I approached, "You look beautiful, surata."

"Well, I feel horrible," I muttered back, my hands shaking so hard that small petals from the bouquet were falling to the ground at my feet. Stefan gently grabbed my hand and placed it in the crook of his arm, giving me a pointed look that meant 'calm down and don't go into a vampire panic attack'. I took deep breathes and clutched his arm tightly, his stone-still form giving me something to hold onto so I didn't shake to pieces.

A soft piano music starts, the musician obviously Edward and I heard the groom's men and _my groom_ walk in. The doors open and the bride's maids, starting with Sulpicia walk in one by one until Tiffany, the maid of honor, is the only one left. She gives me a shy smile and strides down the aisle. My shivers came back and Stefan squeezed my hand lightly. Tobius, the ring bearer, and Jane, the flower girl, both walked into the room and finally, it was my turn.

The wedding march started up and I heard Stefan whisper, "Start on the left foot," and I nodded minutely, hoping to god that I didn't screw this up. There was a huge movement of feet as the people attending the ceremony stood up to see me. I would have blushed if I had been able. The doors opened once more and I held my breath as Stefan and I walked in.

I greatly underestimated the amount of people coming to the wedding. The Cullens, Denalis, Egyptians (Benjamin and his family in the fifth row), several nomads and the entire Volturi guard. As expected, Edward was on the piano with his daughter Renesmee seated beside him. Carlisle was in front of the alter, smiling warmly at me. From right to left, I saw Vladimir, Caius, Aro and then... _him_.

Seeing him in a tuxedo and red cravat, his long dark hair tied in a ponytail and his red eyes bright as they fell on me, made me momentarily forget what event was happening. All I could see was him. He smiled, showing his teeth for once, and my heart leapt in my chest. He was... breathtaking.

It felt as though the wedding march wasn't going fast enough and I nearly pouted when Stefan held me back. He smirked at me and walked at a normal, human pace. When we finally got to the alter, Marcus and I couldn't keep our eyes off each other. Granted, this was the first time ever that he'd seen me in a dress, it was also the first time I had seen him in a tuxedo and damn... he was gorgeous.

Carlisle smiled, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"I do," Stefan said clearly, his hand fractionally tightening around mine. With that, Stefan lifted my hand from his arm, kissed both my hands and gave them to Marcus. Stefan took a step back and sat down in a nearby seat beside Alec and Felix.

Marcus's fingers intertwined with mine and I looked up at his bright happy face, glad that he wasn't feeling as nervous as I was. Carlisle cleared his throat, "Dearly beloved..."

God, it took forever. At one point, I snuck a peek at Vladimir and saw him rolling his eyes. I held back giggles and looked up at Marcus again. He was staring at me, his red eyes a deep crimson. Huh, I wonder when that happened. Finally Carlisle got to the good part, "Saint Marcus Volturi, king of Volterra and the entire vampire race, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, until death do you part?"

Marcus's hands tightened around mine and his eyes became pitch black, "I do." I wondered idly why his eyes had changed but it didn't matter for now. Carlisle was reading my part next and I needed to focus and not stumble over the words.

"Styx Romani, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, until death do you part?"

There was no question, not one moment of hesitantion, "I do."

There was an excited giggle from behind me and I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Tiffany held her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide in embarrassment. Marcus smiled and I tilted my head slightly to speak to her, "Woo-hoo." She grinned at me and Tobius walked up to us, handing Marcus the rings. My son shook Marcus's hand with a smile and gave me a grin as he walked back to stand next to Jane.

Marcus put the thicker ring into my hand and grabbed my other hand, sliding the golden ring with emeralds and onyx stones onto my wedding ring finger. I lifted his hand and placed the thick, ruby encrusted ring onto his wedding ring finger, looking up at him happily. It was happening. We were getting married. I was his... and he was mine. Dear God, this gorgeous, dark haired devil-of-a-man was my husband and mate...

That was why his eyes had gone dark. He was thinking the same thing. I was all his and in a matter of hours, he'd have me all to himself. I could practically feel my eyes turn jet black at the thought. Carlisle broke me out of my stupor with, "I now pronouce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

I didn't wait for Marcus to tentatively lean down to kiss me. I jumped into his arms and deeply kissed him, pouring every bit of love I had for him into that kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and applause erupted all around us. I heard Emmett and Felix whooping, someone to my left sniffling (probably Sulpicia) and Stefan shouting something (hopefully positive) in Romanian. Marcus finally released me and I grinned, "Eternity... right?"

He rubbed his nose against mine softly, "Eternity."


End file.
